Posts Tagged ‘immigrants’
From doctors to shamans
It’s no secret that culture plays a role in health care, from our systems of medicine to our personal decisions. When a person receives health care in his or her home country, there are unlikely to be many clashes over culture because it’s a medical system that he or she knows and understand well. The United States is not a [...]
The changing face of America
America is changing. Always. It’s part of the deal in this country of immigrants. And yet, for all of the ways in which immigration has in the past forged new concepts of nationhood, nothing really compares to the present. The United States has become a stunningly multicultural place and is becoming more so with each passing year. [...]
Embracing diversity in Japan
Japan has long been one of the most homogenous nations in the world. Although the Japanese are often welcoming to tourists and visitors, they have not always been so enthusiastic about foreigners who settle in their country. There are signs, however, that the famous Japanese reticence toward outsiders may be receding, at least among young [...]
Is China the land of opportunity?
Although the United States has long been regarded as a land of opportunity for immigrants from around the world who wanted a different life for themselves and their families, it seems there is increasing competition for that title. And the competition isn’t just coming from the likes of Canada or Australia, but from China. That’s [...]
German work culture may be influencing exodus
Interesting story a few days ago about the angst that some in Germany are feeling over an apparent exodus of professionals to other countries. Many of these emigrants, though, are not leaving for the usual reasons of lack of jobs. Some are attracted to the warmer climes of nearby European Union countries, such as Spain. But a surprising number of [...]
Balancing two cultures as an immigrant
It is always a challenge for immigrants to assimilate into a new culture. The children of immigrants, moreover, often feel torn between two cultures. The Associated Press recently had an interesting article about some of the choices being made by the children of immigrants in Europe. As Europe goes through a wrenching debate over integrating immigrant [...]
Muslim-American identities
There is an intriguing series of interviews on NPR with two young women from near Chicago who have an Algerian Muslim heritage. Sisters Assia and Iman Boundaoui grew up outside Chicago, their lives straddling what it is to be Muslim and American. Born to Algerian parents, they attended an Islamic school and a Sunni mosque around [...]
Pakistani immigrants in two cultures
Do immigrants have an easier time assimiliating into some countries than into others? Obviously, it’s difficult for anyone to meld into a strongly homogenous nation, such as Japan. But what about cultures that seem equally open and diverse? The NY Times this morning has an article that looks at the experience of Pakistani communities in [...]
How immigrants assimilate
There has been much talk in recent months about the growing Hispanic population in the United States and its effect on the country. One of the fears articulated is that we could be creating a separate Spanish culture in the U.S. However, a recent story in the Washington Post indicates that some of those fears may [...]
Contemplating American culture
Happy July 4th, Americans! Today seems like a good day to contemplate some of the many facets of American culture. First, an article from the Journal Star of Lincoln, Nebraska, that examines some of what it means to be an American: Unlike many other countries where blood and birth define citizenship, America is a nation of [...]
America within the Americas
There was an interesting column recently in the Los Angeles Times by Richard Rodriguez in which he discussed what he saw as the birth of a Latin American consciousness in the United States. He suggested that in the future the U.S. was more likely to see itself as an integral part of the Americas. Here is an [...]
Adapting medical care to culture
Medical facilities in the U.S. are becoming more aware of the need to adapt their practices to different cultures, as evidenced by this article about New York area hospitals. (This) reflects a broader national shift in health care as urban hospitals move beyond the translation services that started becoming common in the late 1990′s and [...]
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Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
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